Weekend...

I want to run through the halls of my high school.....

I want to scream at the top of my lungs!!!

This is exactly what this picture makes me think of!  Our seniors last day was this past Friday.  It is a tradition that at the very end of the day they get to do their "Senior Run".  They run through the halls whooping & hollering & just having a good ole time.

And then they run outside at the other end of the building into this...

 Our principal awaits atop the local fire truck ready & willing to soak them & spray them & take them down!!

It is a fun tradition - the kids' come out screaming into this full blast, armed with water guns, shaving cream & silly string.  It isn't long before the rest of the school follows in hot pursuit & they are all out there just having a blast.

Just good ole' fashioned fun!

What an awesome ending to a 13 year career!!!

This weekend summer temps appeared in Michigan.  On Sunday morning I suggested to my hubby that after we got home from church we should pack a picnic lunch & head to the beach.  It was supposed to get into the 80s - it did and we did!

We had a great day, just sitting on the beach & relaxing.  I made him promise to take me many more times this summer before we left the beach.  He said we definitely would be coming back more often.  My sister's & I head out at least once or twice a summer, it's only an hour away.  It's such a shame to not to take advantage of it more often!!

The water was cold, but it always is, even in the middle of summer!  It was so hot that it actually didn't feel too bad - & to be in Lake Michigan in May is a real treat!

Temps are supposed to continue to be hot throughout this week - but that's fine with me.

Only 3 more weeks left of school for me.  Then one week off before I start up the summer school program.  You can better believe I'll be visiting the lakeshore during that time!!!

Another Senior Portrait Session

I love taking these pics, I really do.  I see these kids at school, most of them are in my classes, but not all.  But when I take them out on a photo shoot, no matter how well I do or do not know them - I get to know them better in the few hours we spend together.

I also help out our teacher who teaches desktop publishing.  One of their ongoing projects in this class is doing the yearbook.  Mr. Miller has me proof all the pages prior to their being submitted.  Also, he gives me a list of kids' every spring, seniors specifically, who do not have their senior pictures turned in.  I track them down & on occasion their is one who for one reason or another hasn't been able to get them taken.  I love being able to help out.  A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to help out Will. 

 

This was not a photo I would have chosen, I didn't like the lighting, but Will really did.  So I printed it & it actually was better than I thought it would be.

Will tries to come off as this serious kinda guy.  Well, I know better.  It didn't take much coaxing to get this smile out of him.

Here we go again with the serious Will.  I do like the angle of this pic though.

Now when I look at this shot I see Will as a "buff" kinda guy.  He's not much taller than 5'6" or 5'7" and medium build.  But when I printed this pic, he looks so much bigger to me.  I really, really like this pic.

But this one, out of all the pictures we took & the time we spent together, this is my absolute favorite.  He was laughing & trying to get his composure.  I started snapping pics & got a series of these shots.  He told me this is one that his mom really like too.

I can't wait til my next session!

True Story...

I have to share this story - it's true.

A friend of a friend of a friend has an adult son who is special needs.  She was at work one day when her son calls her & says,

"mom, you have to come home quick - I caught a troll."

The mom is puzzled, thinking maybe it's something he saw on t.v.  She tells him to go back to watching t.v. & she will be home in a few hours.  He says ok.

A short time later he calls her back all excited again,

"mom, come home now - I caught a troll!"

The mom once again tells him to go back to his program & she will be home in a few hours.

The son calls a 3rd time,

"mom, mom - you gotta come home.  I caught a troll."

Well, the woman's boss is now concerned and says to her,

"you know he doesn't generally behave like this.  When you tell him to do something he's so good at doing it.  Maybe you'd better go home & check it out."

So she agrees & heads home.

When she gets home, she finds the census taker, who is a "little person", under a box.

Her son mistook the "little person" as a troll.

True story......

Daughter's Tea...

Last weekend at church was a "Daughter's Tea".  I was asked to take photos of the grandma's, mom's & daughters.

This picture was my absolute favorite!!!  The 3 little girls come bouncing into the room and right behind them comes their moms & grandma.  The little girls were set on NOT dressing silly, but when their moms & grandma came in with their boas & hats & tiarras on, they changed their minds.

They were all giggling so much & just having a wonderful time. 

These 2 little girls were more than happy to oblige me by "testing" things out.

I spent 3 hours taking pics.  It was so much fun.  But my legs paid for it for 3 days after from all the squatting I did up & down to take the shots.

I don't have to work this weekend at the store - probably only one more Saturday left on my schedule before Masterpiece Memories closes it's doors at the end of May.  So sad - I've worked at a LSS for the past 7 years!  What am I gonna do with that time now?

Well, it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend, so I might just take the camera out & practice & play with it.  Maybe go for a bike ride too.  But first - it's off to the grocery store for the weekly shopping ritual with my hubby!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Creativity Flows Again...

I had the weekend pretty much to myself as DH was up north turkey hunting.  It was a wonderful weekend.  No schedule, I cooked what I wanted as #1 son was in & out all weekend too.

I was way behind on my CJ Challenge for April so I knocked it out this weekend & mailed it out yesterday to Rhonda in California.

Rhonda's project is a cook book.  She was looking for recipes to spice up her family's life.  She only asked for 2, but I sent four.

The recipe on the left is my mom's chocolate pie - which the tradition has become now for me to make it at all family gatherings.  I HAD to include the pic of my mom & me on this recipe page.

The recipe on the right is for Microwave Honey Roasted Pretzels.  I came across this recipe last summer in the church cook book & they soon became a quick, yummy snack that went to all the Sunday night summer park concerts that DH & I attended with our friends.

These two recipes are an old and new favorite.  The recipe on the left is Cuban Black Beans & Rice.  DH & I have been making weekly menus for dinner & he found this recipe in a Real Simple magazine.  For a vegetarian meal, it is very tasty & filling.  He leaves the radishes off, but I love them & when they get a little warm from the beans & rice, the flavor really pops from them!

The recipe on the right is French Bread Pizza - an old family favorite.  I remember making this on Sunday nights after church when I was in high school.  My little sister & I loved it - so my mom always made sure the ingredients were around for us.

Along with my recipe pages I managed to knock out 12 pages of layouts from the recent senior trip I went on.  Kids' at school have been begging to see the pictures, so I created these layouts to add to my senior trip book that I've kept ever since the 1st trip in 2003.

These pics were from Busch Gardens.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day - perfect weather for an amusement park!  The layouts are all posted on my bulletin board in my classroom & I love the kids' popping in to check them out.  They get all excited again remembering the weekend & all the fun we had.  The juniors get excited looking at them & can hardly wait for their turn next year.

I can't remember the last time I scrapbooked so much in one weekend, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I found out yesterday that the local scrapbook store that I work at part time is closing in June.  It's a sad, sad thing - the economy has not been a friend to small business' over the past 2 years.  Our owner has given it a valiant effort, but it's not working.  I will miss working there - I've worked at a LSS for 7 years.  It was a wonderful way to support my habit.  Now I'm gonna have to drive a distance to get my fix - guess I'll have to start clipping coupons more too!